This is an ongoing series about personality and focuses on the personality typology of Carl Jung.
9/19/16 The Human Personality – Part 1
This first post is available on this blog on the date above. It discusses personality as enduring and distinct from intelligence. It also notes that Jung was correct that it continues to evolve over our life span.
10/3/16 Personality Types – In General – Part 2
In the second installment, also available on this blog at the above date, the general structure of Jung’s system is presented. Personality is seen as a rising wheel with two attitudes and two pairs of four functions which are presented in thumbnails. Greater detailing is given in later posts.
10/17/16 Psychological Types – Introversion and Extraversion – Part 3
In the third installment available at the above date the two attitudes of introversion and extraversion are covered. You are probably at least somewhat familiar with them. They compose a context which shapes the functions to be described in future posts.
Next in the Series:
The Thinking Function – Part 4
Part of a Pair
The thinking function is paired with the feeling function. No specific value is attached to either one. They are simply different types.
As regards thinking, consider for a moment the scientist or engineer sitting in his laboratory focused intently on a problem. It is technical and requires a hard-headed, rational approach. There is no need at the moment to consider the implications of the solution. Solving the problem is everything. This kind of problem is what this person prefers solving.
The thinking type is a person who is systematic, rational and deals in factual matters. Feelings don’t enter into what they are doing to any significant degree. Why would they? Motives are intellectually considered.
In considering this person we need not attach a value to their approach. It is technical and focused. This person may be a Dr. Strangelove or he may be a Michelanglo who is constructing a flying apparatus. The outside world may attach a value to what they do and may have feelings about it. These two men may attach no feelings or very limited feelings. In a pure sense this is the thinking type. They may feel detached to us but they are not necessarily good or evil.
But There Are Feelings
With this description we need to be clear that they do have feelings which may run deep but feelings are not the core of how they approach the world. Their skills and orientations are quite useful in certain settings.
In writing fiction such a person may come to be a hero or a tragic figure to those around them. When extraversion is attached such a person is guided by tradition and education. Those are outside values from the world at large. The focus is on generally accepted ideas and absolute truths. Taste and friendship are secondary concerns.
The Effect of Attitudes
When introversion is attached, the person may be equally enraptured by facts and systems but personal conclusions rather than more widely accepted conclusions may be central. We at once see the more personal basis. With extraversion the inclusion of other people is more likely along with their viewpoints.
If there is an attempt to put this person in a romance novel it will take skill because underlying attributes will have to be teased out and brought to bear. This type is capable of deep love and caring but the manifestation of it is not always clear and may be difficult to convey to the reader.
In general, thinking types are very often likely to be male. There are some thinking type women, but they are much less common than thinking type men. Surely you know such men. They may be quite dedicated, helpful and we may appreciate them, but they do not hand out warm fuzzies.
Again, it is important not to attach a value to the types. Their choice of setting is important and the application of their function may take some tending.
For More Information
If you want to dig deeper into these personality types, in this information age it is easy. Simply google Carl Jung’s personality typology or the specific functions and attitudes and it will all be unfolded before you in detail.
Are there certain personality types you prefer to interact with?